Vivaldi - Magnificat ~ Gloria / Berganza, Valentini-Terrani, NPO, Muti

I only wanted to add to the other reviews my opinion about the two singers: Teresa Berganza and Lucia Valentini-Terrani they are so excelent performers and are so inspired in this recording that their presence justifies this record purchase.


Great Romantic interpetration, not for historical purists   December 10, 2003
Houyhnhnm (Albuquerque, NM United States)
21 out of 21 found this review helpful

I have lived with this recording for about 25 years and am still moved by it, so I have to say that it works for me and deserves five stars. These performances are very different from what Vivaldi himself produced, however, so if you think the goal of Vivaldi recordings should be to recreate eighteenth-century Venice, then you will consider this recording a sacrilege; or at least a disappointment. I am of the school that believes in interpreting music rather than exhuming it, and I think this interpetration works on its own terms, though others may disagree.

I don't have the numbers, but this recording brings more musical forces to bear than "authentic" performances. The string sections sound deep, more like a small orchestra than a chamber group. The chorus sounds very large. The brass and woodwind sections, however, sound very small, and they sound to me like they are accents rather than equal partners like in a modern orchestra. The recording, made in the 1970's, has a lot of reverberation, so it has a vast cathedral sound. I think this really makes the music come alive and makes the slow movements more reverent, though I can see why some would find it distracting or muddy. It also makes the chorus and and string sections sound larger than they would in a regular studio setting.

In my opinion the second section of Gloria (Et in terra pax--and peace on earth) is the transcendent crowning achievement of Vivaldi's career, so my judgment of the CD centers on this distressingly short passage. In comparison, the Magnificat is an interesting prelude and the rest of Gloria is the setting for this jewel. The few times I have heard it live it has always brought tears to my eyes, and after years of listening to this recording I am still deeply moved every time I hear it--usually not to the point of tears but always with chills down my spine. The tempo is slow and stately, bringing out the majesty and reverence in the music (perhaps at the expense of the Baroque filigree). Through most of the piece the chorus isn't working hard; the tones are almost hushed, and the strings are achingly silky. But Multi doesn't let it get sentimental or lugubrious: at the crescendos he doesn't just raise the volume, he also raises the agitation, which adds to the emotional power. He does this partly by keeping a strong driving rhythm in the strings at the right places (this sounds like a faint precursor of Beethoven's rhythms to me). More of the agitated effect comes from the tone of the chorus itself. The crescendos aren't performed as just the standard build-up to a conclusion. The hushed, reverent tones of the quiet parts rise up in a lament, almost a cry of anguish for peace. It is the heartbreaking contrast of such pure beauty of music and sentiment with such agitation that gives it such an emotional impact.

In the fast sections, Multi keeps a spry, sometimes driving rhythm. The Baroque purists might prefer a lighter touch, but I think this works well also.

In conclusion, if you are willing to abandon the idea of a historical reenactment or a standard Baroque concert piece and embrace Multi's interpretation of a deeply spiritual and emotional composition performed in a Romantic spirit, then this is a tour de force and a must for any who want to explore Vivaldi's choral work.